Tape-measure



(No Model.)

E. H. WHEELER.

TAPE MEASURE.

No.. 348,805 Patented Sept. 7, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE- EDWARD H. \VHEELER, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

TAPE-MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,805, dated September 7, 1886.

Application filed December 30, 1885. Serial No.1:37.103. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tape-Measures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,sueh as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of tapemeasures in which the tape is wound within the case, and has for its general objects to produce a tape-measure which will be either selfwinding or may be wound by acrank, may be readily changed from onemode of operation to the other, and which will carry a tape much longer than the spring required, while at the same time the construction shall be simple, strong, and durable. \Vith these endsin view I have devised the novel construction of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, similar letters denoting the same parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a section on the line :0 w in Fig. 2; Fl 2, a vertical cross-scction, the parts being in the same positions as in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a view of the gears, taken on theline y y in Fig. 2, the shafts being in section; Fig. 4, adetail sectional view corresponding with Fig. 2, except that the crank is opened out, thethumbnut turned a quarter around, and the bladein engagement with the slotted head; Fig. 5, a cross-section of the thumb-nut on the line 2 z in Fig. 4, showing the crank and its hub in elevation; and Fig. Gis a detail cross-section on a line at right angles to the sectional line of Fig. 4., the line of section being indicated by w w inFig. 4.

A represents the case, preferably made to slide together without soldering or riveting, so that it may readily be taken apart, if desired, and B a central shaft, one end of which is journaled in a hub, A, in the case, the other end resting in hub C of crank C, in which it is keyed, as will be more fully explained. Hub C is journaled in the case,and

is provided with a disk-spring, C, which bears against the inside of the case and holds the shaft against endwise movement.

I) is a wheel, having internal teeth, D, and a sleeve, D", which is journalcd on the shaft.

E represents a coil-spring, the inner end of which is attached to sleeve D", as at E, the outer end being attached to drum F, as at E The periphery of the drum is rigidly secured to one side of a rotating gear-case, G, and the other edge is provided with a cross-piece, F, which is journaled upon the shaft. One edge of case G is journaled upon sleeve I), the other edge being provided with a hub, G, which is journaled upon the shaft. The internal gearwheel is located within case G, as is also pinion B, upon the shaft. Upon the inner side of the case, midway between the teeth of wheel D and the teeth of pinion B, isastud, Gflupon which is j on rnaled'an intermediate gearavheel, H, which meshes both with wheel D and with pinion B. As stated above, the crank-hub C is journaled in the case, and is supported and held in posit-ion by the disk-spring C". The end of the shaft is provided with a slot, 13*, and rests in a recess, 0, in the crank-hub, and is keyed therein by a blade, K, at the end of a rod, K, which passes through crank-hub O.

K" indicates short pins, which project from the blade and slide in holes C in the crankhub, and K springs surrounding said pins, the action of which is to force the blade forward into the slot in the end of the shaft, and at the same time into engagement with a slotted hub, F upon cross-piece F.

In the oiiter end of the crank-hub is an air gular recess, G which is adapted to receive the angular base M of thumb nut M, which turns freely upon blade-rod K.

In Figs. 4 and 6 the blade is shown as in engagement with the slotted hub, while Figs. 2 and 5 show the blade as held out of engagement with the slotted hub. It should be understood, however, that the blade is at all times in engagement with shaft 13, so that the crank-hub and shaft must at all times move together. The crank is hinged to the crankhub, as clearly shown in Figs. 2,4, and 5, and is provided with opening C, through which the thumb-nut passes when it is turned down to its closed position.

0 is the handle of the crank, and A openings in the case and in diskspring C into which the handle passes when the crank is in the closed position, as shown in Fig.2, so that when in this position the crank-hub and shaft are locked against rotation. The tape N is coiled upon the exterior of the drum and passes out through an opening, A in the edge of the case, friction-rollers N being provided at said opening, between which the tape passes.

O is a friction-dog pivoted within the case, the lower end of which bears against the periphery of gear-case G, and P is a spring secured to the case which acts to hold the dog in operative position. In use thisdog acts to permit the case to rotate freely in the direction in which it moves when the tape is unwound, but acts by friction to check it in stantly from moving back ward when the st rain upon the tape is relieved.

O is a thumb-piece upon the dog, which projects through a slot in the case, by which the pressure of the dog upon case Gthat is, the rotating gear-caseinay be removed when it is desired to have the spring wind the tape up.

The operation is as follows: Suppose that it is desired to use the device as a self-winding tape-measure. Blade K is lifted out of engagement with the slotted hub F, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the base of the thumb-nut is turned at an angle to the recess in the crank-hub, as indicated in Fig. 5. This leaves the drum free to rotate independently of the shaft, the shaft being keyed to the blade, and the hub being locked to the ease by-the engagement of the handle of the crank therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. As the drum and case G rotate, stud G' carrying the intermediate gear, H, must rotate with it. As stated above, this gear is in engagement both with the pinion B on the shaft and with the teeth I) on wheel D. It is of course desirable that the tape should be much longer than the spring, or, rather,itis not necessary that the spring should be anywhere near as long as the tape. Astheshaft is locked, pinion B is of course held stationary, so that as stud G and the intermediate wheel move about said pinion rotation must be imparted to wheel. D, causing it to turn in the same direction that the drum turns as the tape is unwound.

As the respective ends of the spring are attached to the drum and to the sleeve of wheel D, it is obvious that if the latter were stationary the spring would be wound up as soon as an amount of tapehad been drawn off equal to the length of the spring, while on the other hand if the drum and the sleeve rotated at the same rate of speed the spring would not be wound at all. I therefore so lay out the gearing that the sleeve to which the inner end of the spring is attached will gain a fraction of a revolution during each revolution of the drum, to which the outer end of the spring is attached. For example, in a fifty-foot measure Ihave secured perl'ectl y satisfactory results by providing an internal gear-wheel with siXt fan-teeth and a pinion with eight teeth. This construction will cause the sleeve to gain oneeighth of a revolution during each revolution of the drum-that is to say, when the sleeve has made eightrevolutions the sleeve to which theinner end of the springis attached will have made nine revolutions,thus winding the spring a single turn. This is a veryimportant feature of construction. It will of course be understood that as the tape is drawn out dog 0, which bears upon the edge of case G, permits the tape to unwind freely. The instant, how- .ever, that the strain upon the tape is relieved the action of the spring will be to turn the drum backward to wind the tape. This, however, is prevented by the cam action of the dog upon the edge of ease G. To allow the spring towind up the tape, thumb-piece O is pressed in, which lifts the dog out of engagement with the edge of case G and allows the spring to wind the tape. If desired, the dog may be used as a brake to prevent the spring from drawing in the tape too quickly. Should it he desired to give the spring more power, the crank is opened out asin Fig. 4. The tape is then held firmly, the dog being of course in engagement with case G, and the crank turned several times to wind the spring, after which the crank is locked again by pushing the bandle into openings A", asin Fig. 2.

Vhcn it is desired to use the device as an ordinary crank-winding measure, the thumbscrew is turned and allowed to drop into recess 0 as in Figs. 4- and 6, which permits the blade to drop into engagement with the slot ted hub upon the cross-picce of the drum, thus locking the drum, shaft, and crank-hub together. This will cause both crank and pinion B on the shaft to rotate with the drum as the tape is unwound. Stud G, which carries the intermediate wheel H, will also make a revolution each time the shaft does, so that the motion imparted to wheel D and the sleeve to which the inner end of the spring is attached will be exactly the same as the motion of the drum to which the outer end of the spring is attachedthat .is to say, both sleeve and drum make a revolution in the same direction in the same time, so that the spring is not affected in the slightest. It will of course be understood that the details of construction may be varied widely without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a tapemeasure, a drum, a shaft hav: ing a pinion, an internal gear-wheel having a sleevejournaled on said shaft, and an intermediate wheel whose stud moves with the drum, and which meshes with the pinion and internal gear-wheel, in combination with a coil-spring, one end of which is attached to the sleeve, the other to the drum, and a folding crank upon said shaft, the handle of which engages the case to hold the shank from rotation.

2. In a tape-measure, the drum, wheel D, sleeve, and spring, in combination with the shaft, pinion, and intermediate wheel.

3. In a tape-measure, the drum, in combination with a shaft having a pinion, an internal gear-wheel having a sleeve journaled on said shaft, an intermediate gear-wheel whose stud moves with the drum, and a spring attached to both sleeve and drum, the relation of the gearing being such that when the shaft is allowed to rotate the sleeve and drum rotate together, but when the shaft is held the sleeve gains slightly upon the drum to wind the spring.

4. In a tape-measure, the internal gearwheel having a sleeve, and the shaft having a pinion, in combination with the drum and spring, and a case, G, attached to the drum, which incloscs the gears, and is provided with a stud carrying an intermediate wheel, which meshes both with the pinion and internal gearwheel, substantially as described.

5. In a tape-measure, the shaft, sleeve, tape, drum, and spring, in combination with the gearing, case G, and spring-dog O, which bears against case G to prevent backward movement of the drum.

6. In a tape-measure, the drum, sleeve, shaft, and gearing, in combination with the crank, and a sliding blade adapted to engage the drum, whereby the shaft and drum are locked together, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a tape measure, the case, the shaft having slot B, and the drum journaled therein and having slotted hub F in combination with a hub, G, journaled in the case, in which one end of the shaft rests, and a spring-actuated blade which engages the slot in the shaft,

and may engage a slot in hub F", or may rest upon said hub, substantially as described.

8. In a tape-measure, the slotted shaft and the drum journaled therein, in combination with hub having recess 0 the spring-actuated blade, and a thumb-nut which turns on the blade rod, and whose base is adapted to engage recess 0 or to rest upon said hub, as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a tape-measure, the case having opening A the shaft, and hub C, in combination with the bladerod K, thumb-nut M, and the crank hinged to the hub, and having an opening to receive the thumb-nut, and a handle which engages recess A to lock the shaft against rotation.

10. In a tape-measure, the shaft-hub 0, plate O", and case A, both having openings A", in combination with the drum having slotted hub F, the bladerod, thumb nut, and hinged crank having handle 0 and opening C9.

11.. In a tape-measure, the slotted shaft, the drum having aslotted hub, and crank-hub 0, having holes 0 and recess 0, in combination with the blade having rod K, pins K and springs K, and the thumb-nut, arranged as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD H. WHEELER. \Vitnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, E. D. HOWELL. 

